The discussion below is merely provided for general background information and is not intended to be used as an aid in determining the scope of the claimed subject matter.
Aspects of the present invention relate to a hand pump for attachment to a working surface near a sink, comprising a pump housing and an outlet extending substantially laterally from the pump housing in order to reach above a receptacle.
Such pumps are known, in particular as soap pump for application in kitchens and/or sanitary facilities wherein the receptacle may be a sink or wash basin and the working surface may be a part of the sink or wash basin.
Such known soap pumps comprise an operating button that usually needs to be pushed substantially vertically with respect to a substantially horizontal working surface. The button and the outlet are usually integrated. The outlet of such pumps is relatively long, in order to be able to bridge a sufficiently long distance on the one hand to fix the pump sufficiently firm to the working surface, in particular extending through the working surface, and on the other hand to allow the outlet to extend above the sink, to make it possible to collect liquid flowing out of the outlet when this is not being collected in another manner, such as for instance in the palm of a hand.
As a result of this length, the operation of the pump requires using two hands: one hand for the operation of the button and the other hand for the collection of the soap. In case of an attempt to use only one hand, it is possible to operate the operating button but impossible to collect the dispensed soap, or, when the outlet itself is pressed upon, it is impossible to exert a pushing force on the pump mechanism effectively, it is possible that parts of the mechanism wedge and/or is it possible that the outlet is bent or even broken.